Seasoned Words and "Free Speech"

 

With the political climate being so negatively charged and each side hurling accusations at each other, I thought it beneficial and important to look at what Jesus and the Bible has to say about our speech. How are we to react to others in what we say and do, especially when there's so many lies being perpetuated by the media? I think you will find it surprising if not challenging, what the Bible says. 

No study of this subject is complete without looking at the book of James who was the brother of Jesus. In chapter one of  James, he warns us “If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart and that one’s religion is useless” (v26). What an indictment!  We don’t see too much bridling of the tongue these days in the media, on-line and even with Christians condemning each other. I was lambasted by a Christian author who told me that my previous article was a bunch of lies. I wrote the article from the point of view of two friends who attended the January 6th gathering at Washington DC. My intention was to tell the truth as told to me. Some called me a jerk,(they were not believers) some brave, others said that I was vindicated by several videos and articles that confirmed my words, but that is not the total point of why I am writing this article. I want to bring to light what the Bible encourages us to do as Christians, especially when we don’t agree with a brother or sister or with someone we don’t consider a follower of Christ.

 We can disagree with others, but it is how we use our tongue that is so important. Jesus does not want us to back down from the principles of the Word of God. He never spared words or tiptoed around the self-righteous or the power mongers. He called the Pharisees “a brood of vipers and white washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). So any picture of an always meek and mild mannered God and man is just incorrect. He knew who to "sock it to" and who to show kindness and forgiveness. 

Jesus calls us to tame our tongue in dealing with the handling of truth and the body of Christ. This is no easy feat! James explains in chapter 3: “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” (v.2). James considers the person who can tame the tongue as perfect or complete. He knows how difficult a task this is for us. We will all fall in this area and say things that are unkind and hurt others, but we can apologize when necessary and must strive to control our tongue.

 James explains, “Even so the tongue is a little number and boasts great things. See how great of forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that is defiles a whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell” (v5-8).  Wow, that is some pronouncement on the evil of the tongue, and you can see it played out everyday on the news, in the media, on Facebook, twitter and the like.

 We should be wary not to let our tongue set us on fire against each other, especially those in the church. It would behoove us to practice greater self-control in this area and confess our sins to one another, especially when we attack another believer. We must be watchful and monitor what we say. This will take a lot of wisdom and self-control.  But it is something that is very necessarily, especially in the church today.

 We are admonished by James that our words are very important and should bring blessings. James continues on this topic. “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” (v 9 to 10). Even though it is very difficult to do, we are encouraged to bless others, not curse them, especially when they irritate us, challenge our belief’s, and say hateful words. I pray for the woman who called me a liar and I must have said something to really annoy her, though I was trying to just tell the truth. We all look at truth a little differently, but we must strive to stay true to the truths of the Word of God.

 What we say and how we express our beliefs is very important to God. Our words can bring healing or they can bring death. We want to bring life and blessing to others not curses. So how can we do this, if James even admits “no man can tame the tongue”?  Only by surrendering to the Holy Spirit and putting on the “new self” can we be victorious. We don’t want to look like the world, but a different creature— one made in the image of God, filled with His Holy Spirit and His presence. So how do we do this practically?

 When we season our words with grace and walk-in wisdom from God, we will be on the right track. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sewn in peace by those who make peace” (v 17). We are encouraged to make peace, not to just keep the peace through compromising, but show others the way to peace with God. Those are the peace makers. We don’t insist on our way, but we show others the way to God and Jesus. We lead and guide. We challenge and love. We sew righteousness and peace. We surrender our lives wholly to God.

 I don’t know about you, but that is a very tall order, especially when we as Americans and particularly New Yorkers, are known to speak our mind. We have the right to “freedom of speech,” but this privilege should not be abused. We as Christians should show the world what it is to truly love one another with what we say and do and not be at each other’s throats or condemning. Be mindful of what we say. Think before we speak. Weigh the impact of our words before we say or write them. I’m speaking for myself as much as anyone else out there. I want to speak truth and life, but I must do it in a way that doesn’t tear down another, but challenges them to see truth. Though it may seem impossible, we know that all things are possible with God!

 I'd like to close with a  verse which sheds light on how we should interact with others in our speech. It is a verse I have chosen to mediate upon on Tuesdays, which is today. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). This verse sums it up as to how we are to live. Mindful of the life of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit living in us, nothing will be impossible. Even taming our tongue.

 Dear Father,

Please give us the wisdom, self-control and ability to speak words of healing and blessing over the Body of Christ and the nation. In the name of Jesus Amen.

 

 

Warning: A Lesson to Be Learned

The time of justice is drawing nigh. It is racing towards us like a herd of stampeding stallions neighing and thundering destruction with the pounding of their hooves. The earth shakes with their approach. Time is speeding up as lives are crammed with more and more things to do and own. The love of gold, pleasure and power has driven many into the herd. Our actions have swept many into a lifestyle of destruction.

The prophets of the Old Testament warned Israel of her impending demise. Inspired by God, Ezekiel spoke these words, “The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity or spare you” (Ezekiel 7:3-4). God judged Israel for her “detestable practices” such as child sacrifice, worshipping other gods, arrogance, love of gold and hardness of heart toward God and His ways. More and more, America reminds me of Israel. Not to say there aren’t pockets of true believers, there are. I believe they are part of why God has not judged us yet as a nation, but as the prevailing society becomes less tolerant of Christianity, we hover closer to the end.

As I write this, New York state is considering a bill that would “dehumanize” the unborn. A law which states that a fetus is not “viable” till it is born, opens up the door to not only late term abortion, but no rights of protection for them until the day of their birth. The consequences could be chilling. Already, millions of abortions have been performed in America since the Roe v. Wade case, though there has been a slight decline lately. With a law like this, the language is trying to convince Americans that the unborn are not human even at nine months old! This practice is surely detestable in God’s eyes. Even the Native Americans, who some wrongfully viewed as savages, knew that a child was human from its inception. When an infant was born, they considered it a year old.

Yet abortion is only one of the evils that have permeated our society. What of the rise of adult and child photography, sex trafficking, school shootings, opioid addictions, alcoholism, murders, idolatry (worshipping other gods) and kidnapping? The statistics for internet pornography are staggering. Every second twenty-eight people view pornography and over $3,000 is spent every second. Many marriages are destroyed because of this evil and people’s lives ruined. And what about the growing number of deaths due to drugs? In 2018 over 72,000 people died from opioid overdoses and it has become the number one cause of death. We are losing our youth to addictions of all kinds. Here’s another evil. Sex trafficking around the world is the fastest growing criminal enterprise with forty million people being traded around the world against their will every year! These statistics are sobering and illustrate the demoralized state of our country and the world. (I could go on, but the point of this article is to wake you up to a spiritual reality, not depress you.)

God judged Israel for sins less than these. He declared, “The day is here. It has come. Doom has burst forth as a rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed” (Ezekiel 4). God was judging Israel for arrogance? Yes. Well there is a plentiful crop of that here in America, especially in New York. Just the other day I received an e-mail about a comic strip series DC comic is about to publish. The super hero, based on a sun god, saves the day, while his blundering side kick, Jesus Christ, is made out to be a fool! How more arrogant and blasphemous can you get?

Before you think God will not judge America because of our Christian heritage, learn a lesson from history. Israel had been the apple of God’s eye, but He allowed and actually called for its destruction because of Israel’s despicable ways. Jerusalem and the surrounding lands laid waste for hundreds of years, occupied by jackals and wandering nomads. If America and the church continues this downward spiral we are in eminent danger. So is all lost for the fate of Americans? Absolutely not!

It’s never too late while you still have life. Repentance is key, even though it might appear to be a message like the sidewalk prophets in New York City who preach doom and gloom unless you repent. There’s nothing wrong with the message, it’s just the way they deliver it. Repentance and change are still sorely needed. Just look at the state of our country and you will know it’s true—families in disarray, rebellious teens, mental illness on the rise, an opioid crisis, gun violence, the rise of pornography and so one.  Yet is it only the unbeliever who must repent? No. Churchgoing Americans need to take a look at the spiritual state of their soul.

 In Israel, like America, the church had been diluted with man made rules and a form of religion that was void of God and His ways. God judged all of Israel and allowed the temple to be defiled because of their great sin of idolatry and pride. “I will put an end to the pride of the mighty and their sanctuaries will be desecrated” (Ezekiel 7:24b).  Though the Babylonians desecrated the temple in Jerusalem, by destroying it and removing all the precious items, the Israelites and the priests had already defiled the temple by their practices. “With their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces to the east, they were bowing down to the sun” (sound familiar? Eastern mysticism, nature worshippers, animists etc.…) (Ezekiel 8: 16).

We have allowed God’s church in America to be defiled by participating in the same sins as the world: abortion, divorce, pornography, fornication (sex outside of marriage), adultery (sex with someone else's partner) etc. Perhaps we have not participated in these evils, but if we are part and parcel of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, slothfulness and wrath then a cleansing in our temple is in order. Repentance, which simply means to turn away from our sin and follow God and His ways, is sorely needed. We are most fortunate; while we have breath, there is still time for us.  

What is needed? For some a complete turnaround, for others a softening of the heart, surrendering to God’s will, reading our Bibles on a daily basis and prayer, just to name a few. Let’s just look at two key practices for now: Bible reading and prayer. Lifeway Research did a study and discovered that only one in five church goers read their Bible daily and one in five never read it. Only 45% read it once a week. This has made for Bible illiteracy. If you don’t read the Bible you don’t know the truth. You won’t be able to guide your life by biblical principles. You can easily be swayed on important moral issues and navigate over to a nonbiblical world view. How about prayer? According to a different Life Way study, the number one problem in evangelical churches today is a lack of personal, fervent prayer on an ongoing basis. Jesus himself called his church “A house of Prayer,” but ours have grown cold and dispassionate. So the solution? “Whoever would love his life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil (what God calls evil, not the world) and do good” (I Peter 10-11).

So what is good? Read my next post to find out.

Living Like an Olympic Champion

What does it take to be a winner in the Olympics? After watching these games the answer is obviously a no brainer. It takes determination, self-discipline, a healthy lifestyle,endurance, belief in the ability to achieve, dedication, good genes (the inherited kind, not the blue ones) and lots of practice! The performance of the medalists doesn't rely an just wishful thinking,haphazard training or half-hearted workouts.Yet some of us lead our lives as Christians just like that. We are tossed about by every wind of doctrine--what's fashionable at the time, listen to the lies of our mortal enemies: Satan and his followers, as well as training incorrectly. So, how can we take these Olympian's example and apply it to our own lives?


The apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians provides us with the key clue. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize? (1 Corin. 9:24-28).

If we want to be victorious Christians,we need to keep in good shape spiritually. But how do we get there is the million dollar question. First, we need the desire to win. If we don't have that, we will surely give up and be easily defeated. But where can we get that motivation to run this race and win? Let's look at the positive reasons Olympic athletes train to be the best they can be. Some just have natural talent combined with a competitive spirit. They want to do their best and win!They just don't train aimlessly, but with determination to win. We need to lay hold of this truth.

In this day and age, we can't just be lukewarm Christians and maintain. We will not be able to just tread water for long because the tide of culture is too powerful and will sweep us away. What can we do to resist this tide and strike a blow to the opponent of our soul--Satan? Once again desire is the key. This reminds me of a book, The Journey of Desire by John Eldridge. God has given men strong desires, but they often chase after what which will only fill them temporarily: sex,power,money and material things. Woman can also be driven, but most often she longs to be loved. All of these desires create a hole in your heart, which can only be permanently filled by a spiritual life and God.Just look around, I think our society speaks loudly to this issue. I see a lot of unhappy people because they are chasing after the wrong dream or they've given up.So how can we have a desire for what is good and godly?

Above all else, knowing God as our Lord and Savior is the prerequisite for having a godly appetite.Only God can give us what we truly need, but we have the choice to eat wholesome truth from the Word of God or fill ourselves up with junk food that the world offers. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian knows God or what He has to offer. If we do not, we will live a defeated life. We may be able to go a few rounds with our opponent, but in the end Satan and his demons will win if we don't meditate and fill up on God's Word (The Bible). Once we have truly experienced God and truth, everything else will taste like straw, (which is fine for horses, but we need more nutrition).

So far we've laid the foundation for living like an Olympian--knowing God and having the desire to live victoriously, which comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Next we need to train ourselves in our pursuit of godliness,believing that what God says is true.Just as the Olympic athlete needs to believe in His or her potential and what their trainer tells them they can do, we need to believe who we are in Christ, which will be the subject of my next post, so this one won't be too long!

More Than Just a Faux Pax

Everything was coming together nicely for redecorating our livingroom. Last year we had a beautiful bay window installed, which opened up the room. This year we were getting new doors and carpeting along with the ceiling and trim painted. I had chosen a warm ginger color that I thought would match the rug according to the sample I had. The old rug was ripped out, and the trim was painted.

The new rug arrived the next day and was installed, but to my chagrin it had more of a pink tinge then the sample, and clashed with the ginger colored trim! I thought I had matched it well,and brought the sample chip home, but it looked different with the whole carpet and changing light from the window.

As I was lamenting my mistake--a true faux pax for an art teacher, I realized I should have brought the actual sample in to match it. But even that didn't truly portray the real color of the rug once installed. Then it hit me. The Holy Spirit sent me a real zinger as we call them in our women's group. I was like the rug sample!

I sometimes clash with the values and hues of Jesus, caught up in my own little world. I might look like Jesus in small doses, like the sample, but once I'm exposed to the light--it's a different story. I don't harmonize with Jesus outside of church as much as I do inside. Ouch! That hurts.

I'm not patient with the snippy receptionist or the installers who scraped my newly painted baseboards or the police officer who stopped me for speeding. Do I show them the love and compassion of Jesus? Not always.

Am I an imitator of Christ 24/7 or just when I choose? Of course, Jesus was perfect, and I am not, but am I progressing towards the mark, looking more like Jesus everyday? I hope so, but not always. This incident showed me that I continually need to evaluate myself in the light of Jesus. And
the next time I need to match a color, I'm taking my artistic daughter along!